Alumni Spotlight: Lieutenant General Ronald Emerson Adams (‘65)
By Brittney Kimber
Throughout his career, Lieutenant General Ronald Emerson Adams (‘65) has been highly honored for his commitment and service. He served two years in the Army National Guard while attending college and served an additional 37 years on active duty as an Army aviator, cavalryman, and commander. He was Jax State's first Regular Army General Officer and remains its only three-star general.
During his time at Jax State, he was selected for “Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities,” was designated a Distinguished Military Graduate, and was later among the first inductees of The National ROTC Hall of Fame.
General Adams held various positions and gained extensive experience during his career. He qualified as a fixed-wing aviator, a rotary-wing aviator and a rotary-wing aircraft instructor pilot. He was an author/instructor of operations at the U.S. Army Armor School, an officer assignment branch chief at the Army’s Military Personnel Center, served two Secretaries of the Army as Aide-de-Camp and Military Assistant, and served on the staff of the Army Secretariat and the Army General Staff, the U.S. Pacific Command during the Gulf Tanker War, and the Joint Staff. General Adams commanded units during the Vietnam War and the first Gulf War, completed tours of duty in Korea and Germany, and served in the Balkans, the Middle East, and around the Pacific Rim. He also commanded the Army’s Aviation Center and NATO’s Stabilization Force, where he spent a year in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia helping maintain peace and stability. His last assignment was as Commanding General, U.S. Army NATO, and as Deputy Commander for NATO’s Joint Command Centre (Allied Force Command), where he developed the roadmap for military integration of armies in Poland and the Czech Republic into NATO’s military structure. He said his greatest accomplishment from a leadership standpoint was successfully leading soldiers in difficult situations without needlessly exposing them to risk.
“There were highlights every day of my 37 years in uniform,” General Adams said. “One particularly memorable event was a Christmas visit to a war orphanage in Bosnia-Herzegovina, accompanied by Sarajevo’s senior Muslim Imam, Orthodox Metropolitan, Catholic Bishop, Jewish Rabbi and a Methodist missionary. The children immediately, with excitement, gravitated toward the accompanying uniformed soldiers rather than the important clerics. I have seen that played out many times, around the world, the special affinity between soldiers and children, and also soldiers and helpless animals.”
General Adams was influenced by his father’s Army career and wanted an opportunity to serve.
“I had been intrigued by the Peace Corps and was being recruited by the VISTA program. A long family history of citizen soldier service in the Militia, National Guard and Federal government, caused me to lean toward some sort of public service,” General Adams said. “The idea of considering the Army was further matured by my father’s example and the positive relationships I developed with the JSU ROTC cadre. Meaningful experiences while enrolled in the ROTC program cemented my interest.”
General Adams said Jax State helped him learn who he was. He was only to be a temporary student at Jax State, with his parents wanting him to attend college in their home state of Pennsylvania.
“I wanted to remain at JSU, and did. I never regretted that decision. After growing up like I did, moving every one to three years and having to say goodbye to friends, familiar places and routines, the four years at JSU were pivotal. The relationships nurtured on campus encouraged me and kept me grounded. Those relationships remain among my most treasured,” General Adams said.
He recalled one of his most memorable experiences while at Jax State — learning of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and how reverent the students were across campus in the days that followed.
When asked what advice he has for students who are interested in or are pursuing careers in the military, General Adams encouraged them to have broad life experiences, become lifelong learners, be content with themselves, be good listeners, and have a strong moral compass.
“The broader your life experience, the better prepared you will be. There will be wonderful, exciting opportunities, but also hardships and circumstances and occasions that demand sacrifice. To be successful, even content, you must be yourself. You cannot pretend to be something or someone you are not,” General Adams said. “You should be a lifelong learner. You cannot survive in military service thinking that you know it all. It is important to be a good communicator and an even better listener. You must be open to the ideas and opinions of others, and open and receptive to criticism. You must be prepared at all times to lift your voice on behalf of others, and you must have a strong moral compass. There may come a time when you face a dilemma involving personal integrity and institutional demands. After rigorous application of your intellect and judgment, you must know the right thing to do, and then do it.”
General Adams was a member of the Department of Defense Senior Executive Service and a consultant to the Army Science Board after leaving active duty. He became Corporate Senior Vice President at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) after leaving government service and later joined Burdeshaw Associates Ltd until retirement in 2020. An active volunteer with numerous church, civic, and non-profit organizations, General Adams did pro bono work for more than ten years for three consecutive Governors. He also served on the boards of directors of several foundations and associations.